The Best of Me
by Livs Torres
Summary: AU: The TARDIS, in a last, ditch effort to save the Doctor before the Big Bang Two, throws the both of them beyond the Time Vortex itself and into a parallel world where the Doctor is granted one last chance to say goodbye to the person whom he has always loved - Rose Tyler. But will he tell her this? (Also mentions TenToo and a general sense of Pete's World.)
1. Goodbye, Amelia

**A/N:** Well, hello there! Originally, TBOM was only supposed to be one part, but I've found that it's nearly impossible to be thorough about it and not have more than _at least_ a few. So, this is the first chapter, and the rest are soon to come. Let the tears ensue!

* * *

The Doctor grimaced in pain, panting heavily as he swallowed back the sudden rush of painful emotions that were unwillingly unraveling themselves before him in his thoughts. They raced with the memories of his time spent running in the universe – from the blood lust of the Time War to the sorrow of his loved ones lost... to the present moment where he knew that his long and weary life was about to end. He sighed and wheezed for air as he forced himself to push away those trivial things, focusing only on the matter at hand.

The soft fringe of his hair tickled the side of his forehead as he bowed his head, and he sagged against his metal prison inside the Pandorica's intricate center. The amazing box glowed a sickly green, and he shut his eyes closed, for he did not want to see it. He did not want to see any of it. He wanted to live. He wanted to live so desperately.

_He could do so much more._

But... the Doctor supposed that he had rightfully earned his fate. He _deserved _the righteous retribution that he would receive and because of that, he would take it... for surely the entirety of the universe was more important than a single madman and his blue box.

Well, at least - that's what he was trying to convince himself of.

He knew that he had only a few minutes left, and then it would be all over. No more pain, no more suffering... no more memories of his terrible past that woke him every single night in a cold sweat. If there was ever a silver lining in this moment, that would be it.

Sometimes, a time lord can live too long.

The Doctor was brought out of his thoughts once again by familiar footsteps that were slowly heading in his direction. Her feet scuffed the floor just as they always had, and the corners of his mouth turned up in satisfaction knowing that the last human being he would ever lay eyes on would be this one.

He didn't raise his head until the sound of her shuffling stopped. When he did, the Doctor found Amelia Pond hesitantly peeking around the Pandorica's exterior. Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked at him – broken and defeated, for she was scared and properly frightened. She was helpless.

"Hi," she murmured, her voice thick with grief. She was trembling slightly so that her hands shook in front of her, and her shallow breathing was all too audible as it echoed off of the Pandorica's walls.

Oh, Amy...

The Doctor took in the sight of his best friend, and he knew that he was going to miss her more than anything in the world. He was going to miss seeing the flash of her red hair as they ran for their lives on strange, alien planets – he was going to miss the clusters of freckles on the tops of her cheeks – he was going to miss seeing the dazzling smile that she offered him whenever he did something to impress her. He was especially going to miss her eyes... those bright, crazy pools of emerald that smoldered whenever he caught her being thoughtful. Some people wear their heart on their sleeve or not at all – Amelia wore her emotions right in the heart of her eyes.

She was so _Scottish_.

"Amy Pond," The Doctor finally breathed, smiling weakly at her. "The Girl Who Waited all night in your garden."

He paused for a moment, wheezing in another breath.

"Was it worth it?" he asked her.

She shook her head, looking away from him as the tears in her eyes threatened to overflow.

"Shut up. Of course it was."

Her words did not surprise him.

"You asked me why I was taking you with me, and I said 'No reason.'" The Doctor blinked slowly, feeling himself start to weaken. "I was lying," he continued.

"It's not important," Amy immediately interjected. She sniffled and cleared her throat as she met his gaze again, scrutinizing the shallow cuts on his face and lower lip.

"Yeah," the Doctor pressed, "It's the most important thing left in the universe," he persisted, raising his eyebrows at her.

His lungs demanded another breathe.

"It's why I'm doing this." He grunted, sagging forward in his restricted cell. "Amy, your house was too big. That big, empty house... Just _you_."

"And Aunt Sharon," she defiantly challenged.

He sighed and felt himself becoming just a tad bit frustrated... she wasn't _listening_. So stubborn! Stubborn, Amy Pond...

"Where were your Mum and Dad? Where was... _everybody_ who lived in that big house?"

Amy took a moment to digest his words, her brow furrowing in concentration.

"I lost my Mum and Dad."

"How?" the Doctor urged. "What happened to them? Where did they go?"

"I..." she started, shock sweeping over her grief stricken features. "I don't – "

"It's okay, it's okay. Don't panic," he soothed, licking his cracked lips to moisten them. "It's not your fault."

The Doctor could hear Amy's breathe hitch just for a moment as her mouth parted in awe.

"... I don't even remember."

Yes, of course she wouldn't.

"There was a crack in the wall of your bedroom, and it's been eating away at your life for a long time now," he explained, trying to convey the truth of his words in his tone.

Leaning forward as much as he could, the Doctor gazed very seriously into Amy's watery eyes.

He hated to see her so confused.

"Amy Pond... all alone. The girl who didn't make sense," he rambled on, more for himself than her own benefit. He watched as she blinked away more tears - everything she rightfully knew about her life was beginning to disintegrate before her.

But, the Doctor would fix that.

"How could I resist?"

"How could I just forget?" she demanded sternly.

The Doctor sighed and felt his own expression soften. He was tired now, but still, he smiled.

"Nothing is ever forgotten. Not really. But you have to try," he quickly pleaded while searching her face.

Suddenly, the Pandorica shook around them like an earthquake, and the Doctor's eyes shut closed momentarily as he knew what soon awaited him. Now, he was merely just delaying the inevitable.

"Doctor!" River shouted from around the corner. "It's speeding up!"

Amy's face fell, and she unconsciously clutched the Doctor's sonic screwdriver to her chest.

"There's going to be a Very Big Bang. Big Bang Two," the Doctor rushed, his eyes opening wide with fear. Still, they shook, and Amy reached forward, closing the distance between herself and her Raggedy Man. She clutched on to the collar of his tweed jacket and listened as his words became even more frantic and jumbled.

"Try and remember your family and they'll be there."

"How can I remember them if they never existed?" Amy cried.

"Because..." and then the Doctor beheld her with total and blatant reverence. "You're special. That crack – all that time," and he paused to bring her close so that their foreheads touched, "The universe pouring into your head – You brought Rory back. You can bring them back, too. You just remember, and they'll be there." When he finished, he reached out and touched her hair before bringing his fingers back to his lips.

"You won't," Amy whispered.

"You'll have your family back," he assured her. "You won't need your imaginary friend anymore."

But even as he spoke, the Doctor knew that he'dalways need _her_.

Amy's face crumpled in defeat at his words and she wavered, her entire body quivering in agony.

The Doctor then felt the Pandorica's final warning to him – two bars produced themselves from the wall behind him, steadying his head and keeping it still.

"Ha!" he chuckled. "Amy Pond... crying over me, eh?" he casually remarked, swallowing down his own emotion once again.

She remained silent at his words, the tears finally streaming down her face in torrents.

"Guess what?" he urged her on cheekily.

"What?" she whispered.

The Doctor cocked his eyebrows at her, letting his mouth open in a mischievous smile.

"Gotcha."

And then for one moment, the Doctor burned as he saw Amelia's mouth drop open in horror as the Pandorica's walls finally closed, cutting him off from the rest of the universe...

Forever.


	2. Lived Too Long

**A/N:** So, Chapter 2 is now up! I decided to add this short bit in because I felt as if the Doctor deserved a moment of reflection/meditation on himself and his overall life. I do believe that the Doctor is the eternal optimist, but I _also_ believe that he has periods of self-loathing that need to be more explored. Either way, I hope you enjoy it - and don't forget to tell me what you think. Allons-y!

* * *

They were flying – he and the Pandorica. Everything around him was shaking. Everything around him was vibrating so _violently._ The Doctor grunted and held on for dear life, securing his hands around whatever he could find. So fast... they were traveling so fast, all the way back up to the TARDIS. Back up to the explosion in the air. Back up to the one catastrophic event that would somehow manage to reboot the entire, bloody universe.

The Big Bang Two.

No one would remember him. Not River, or Rory... not even Amy. The whole of existence would forget _his_ in only a matter of a few seconds. He bit his lip to keep from crying out at the thought and noticed his breathing grow more uneven as he continued to toss about his caged chair like a useless rag doll. No more family... no more friends... nothing. He was almost glad right about this point in time – the Doctor was _glad_ that his life would come to an end.

No... that was wrong.

His life would never have even _started._

The Pandorica's tremors picked up in measure as his mind raced with such terrible thoughts, and he felt his whole body clench and unclench as he fought to remain intact as the big, sickly box bruised and battered its way around him. They were flying – they were crashing... they were all wrapped up in some sort of cosmic tornado. It was hot... the Doctor felt his hands and neck slicken with sweat as they continued to near his beloved spaceship. Feeling his throat utter a desperate growl, the Doctor leaned his head back and shut his eyes for the last time, his memory jumping to the faces of those he would miss the most.

He suppose that this _was_ the end that he deserved. He was _old_ – he was an old man who had lived too long. Too long... and had done too much. Running for all of that time – he was exhausted. He didn't want to run anymore. He didn't want to _do_ anything anymore. He'd managed to destroy so many lives in the process of his own. His _one_ life. So... what did that make him?

Oh, right.

It became him the Time Lord Victorious.

He was a murderer, a liability... a monster.

But even then... every lonely monster needs a companion, right?

Swallowing hard, the Doctor's lips parted as his matted hair fell around his temples. He allowed this to be, and remained focused on the thoughts at hand. It no longer mattered that he was hurting. It no longer mattered that the universe had imploded on itself because of his actions alone. It no longer mattered that everything was coming to an abrupt and impossible end.

Because he was going to fixthat.

The Doctor would fix _everything_.

Every last, little detail of every single thing was going to be alright.

Because that is what _the Doctor_ does.

That... is what _he_ does.

Sucking in his last mouthful of air, the Doctor braced himself for impact as the Pandorica shuddered powerfully, and he felt warm moisture brim behind the closed lids of his tired eyes.

"_I'm so sorry..." _he whispered to the universe, hearing the simple words immediately dissolve into the noise of his collision.

Feeling the air leave his body, the Doctor went limp as the Pandorica trembled for the final time, leaving everything in complete and total darkness.

He was then simply... gone.


End file.
